Arezzo’s Antique Markets
Market shopping is an age-old tradition that has never been lost in Florence. Florentines love a good market, and one of the best ways to mingle amongst the locals can be attained outdoors, under the Tuscan sun, as the well-worn phrase goes, in outdoor markets littered around the city.
There are daily markets, seasonal markets, and special occasion markets selling every item one can think of littered around the city and in its outskirts.
The San Lorenzo piazza and surrounding streets is home to Florence’s buzzing open-air San Lorenzo markets. Lining a seemingly endless maze of cobblestone streets with ‘bancorelli’ (carts) selling handbags, wallets, belts, jewellery, arts and crafts, t-shirts, pottery, key chains, and leather-bound books with blank pages awaiting reminiscences of a Tuscan journey. The stall workers are generally a happy and friendly bunch, usually willing to bargain a little with a pleasant buyer.
And once the exertion of bartering and lugging your wares takes its toll, you find yourself just near the San Lorenzo central food markets - aptly located, since San Lorenzo is in fact the patron saint of cooks. With hundreds of specialty stores selling produce that personify delight such as olives as fleshy as a Rubens model, blushing tomatoes, hams cured in various ways and sliced so thin that they melt in the mouth, more cheeses than a photo album, Italian alcohols such as the Limoncello surely made from lemons and pure sunshine, and many other goodies to easily recuperate any calories spent wandering through the city streets. There are perfectly round zucchinis, small and seedless avocados the shape of gherkins, and so many kinds of apples that the stall seems like a paint-chart ranging from passive yellow, granny smith green through to pink lady and crisp reds.
The compact Mercato Nuovo, located on Via Porta Rossa (just near the larger Piazza Della Republica), offers similar wares to those of the San Lorenzo markets. Packed into an undercover area, there are some amazing leather-works, scarves and gloves, hats, shirts, wallets, hair accessories, leather-bound books and other items that become perfect tangible treasures of a Tuscan trip.
The Le Cascine area of Florence also has a gigantic clothing market on every Tuesday morning, held in a giant piazza where second hand and outlet clothing, jewellery and shoes are all on offer. Tables are lined with sparkling jewels, cardboard boxes spew out sleeves and legs of garments from outlet stores, shopaholics sell off the spending evidence of seasons’ past, and stacks of shoe boxes conceal footwear from house-shoes to killer heels.
Junk and brick-a-back do their best to conceal antique treasures at the Mercato dei Pulci, located in Piazza dei Ciompi held on the last Sunday of every month. Here, there is usually a table filled with hundreds of new but dated sunglasses that draws in almost every passerby to try on (and often, buy!) the most ridiculous shades possible! Old coins, books, clothes, china, hats and bags line tables crammed into a narrow street, surrounding a permanent antiques market containing approximately 20 stalls where larger furniture items, lamp shades, vases, artworks, toys, and random household objects can be pondered upon.
Just down the road, heading away from the centre of Florence, you find the Piazza San Ambrogio markets. By night, this area is used as a car-park, but by day, it is transformed into an experience bursting with sensations. Here you will find a row of food stalls burdened with bright fruits and vegetables, the cheeses and breads, meats and aromatic herbs, the locals skittering from stall to stall buying a little here, a little there. Most stall holders are happy to provide advice as to how these wonders are best prepared, and a few even have items to taste along the way.
There is a large indoor area of the San Ambrogio market which is flanked partially by the fresh produce stalls, then by household goods, fashions, and a wonderous little fresh plant and flower stall. Inside, are the fresh meats, cheeses, breads, and a little bar where you can cram in with the locals to enjoy a cheap but fantastic meal. This market is almost worth going to alone to see one meat stall in particular, which is always surrounded by women waiting patiently to be served by one of any of the several butchers, who are of various ages and looks, but all extremely pleasant to speak to, and even more pleasant to watch whilst one waits!
San Miniato, famous for its truffle hunting grounds, also has a small but satisfying market selling clothes, underwear, jewellery, shoes, handbags, sweets, and crafts.
The mother of Florentine markets however, must be the Fortessa di Basso antiques fair. Spanning over several vast parks, families take their afternoon walk through the winding paths of the tree-filled park that is overcome with a mass of market stalls selling the most fabulous household objects from sugar tins through to display cabinets, ancient books, glassware, fashions, art works, old toys, war memorabilia, arts and crafts… more items than any one person could possibly buy in several lifetimes of avid shopping. An entire day can easily, and pleasantly, be passed wandering and exploring. In the centre of one of the parks, is a large fountain just perfect for sitting by, kicking off the shoes to let the cool grass sooth tired feet, and perhaps even laying back and closing your eyes to the wonderous sun. From here, there is just the sound of relaxed, happy people and chirping birds happy for the company.
